The Maboneng Precinct, Johannesburg CBD

The Maboneng Precinct is one of the largest urban regeneration project in the southern hemisphere, created by visionary property developer Jonathan Liebmann, and designed by Daffonchio and Associates Architects. Maboneng is an open, mixed-use neighbourhood located on the eastern side of the Johannesburg CBD.

In a still economically fragmented and racially divided Johannesburg, the developer's vision for Maboneng is to create an innovative urban environment to encourage diversity in terms of uses, races, incomes and ages.

The developer's focus is to transform entire neighbourhoods by designing and developing iconic properties and employing innovative strategies that create integrated and uplifted urban environments.

Maboneng is an urban proposal resulting from both global inspiration and local innovation. For example, the retail spaces are dedicated to small unique concepts, franchise chains are not considered and artisans are included in the projects supply chain and encouraged to start small business ventures.

The architecture re-establishes the dialogue between buildings and the streetscape, creating opportunities for engagement between the private and public realm. This is particularly meaningful in the post-apartheid context and anti-urban legacy of Johannesburg.

Maboneng, a Sotho word meaning “place of light”, is a fitting name for a district that has fast become a centre of creative energy for Johannesburg’s urban artists. With a mix of art galleries, and retail and studio space on offer, the precinct draws the inner-city public, as well as the chic, art-going crowd of the city’s northern suburbs, bringing life back into downtown Johannesburg.

World Architecture Festival Finalist 2011

GIFA Award of Merit 2015

SAIA Award for Sustainable Architecture 2016

Wandsworth, London

Wandsworth is located in south London across the Thames from Chelsea and Kensington and neighbouring Putney and Richmond. It was identified in the London Plan, a spatial development strategy, as one of the major centres of Greater London.

Our high-level proposal for the urban regeneration of Wandsworth proposes the upgrade of the existing under-utilized green areas in and around King George's Park, and aims to maximise real estate values through commercial and residential developments.

Stimela Square, Johannesburg CBD

This was a proposal done for Standard Bank, who owned the site at the time, in an attempt to prevent the demolition of the historical Ussher industrial buildings in between Standard Bank and the M3 in the Johannesburg CBD. Our plan envisaged the preservation and re-purposing of 1,700 square meters of historical industrial buildings and 33,000 square meters of new high density residential.

_Victoria Yards, Lorentzville, Johannesburg

Victoria Yards is 30,000 square meters of previously industrial space across the road from the Nando's global headquarters in Lorentzville, a historic area to the east of the Johannesburg CBD.

The buildings and adjacent spaces are being re-purposed into studios, community food gardens and artisan's workshops. There are also plans for indoor climbing walls, dance studios and community centres.

The development aims to empower the surrounding community through the skills development of artisans, and ensuring that the facilities are accessible and inclusive.

The developer is Brian Green of 44 Stanley Avenue fame. Nando's, with its long history of developing and nurturing South African artists, has been very involved in this development.